Welcome to Malheur National Forest

Forest Service manages national forests and grasslands for timber, range, minerals, outdoor recreation opportunities, cultural and heritage resources, clean water and air, wildlife and fish, and a myriad of special uses.

The 1.7 million acre Malheur National Forest is located in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon. The diverse and beautiful scenery of the forest includes high desert grasslands, sage and juniper, pine, fir and other tree species, and the hidden gems of alpine lakes and meadows. Elevations vary from about 4000 feet (1200 meters) to the 9038 foot (2754 meters) top of Strawberry Mountain. The Strawberry Mountain Range extends east to west through the center of the forest.

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Holiday Tree Permits

It’s the most wonderful time of the year to visit the Malheur National Forest and find the perfect holiday tree for your home!

Holiday tree permits are available at your local Malheur National Forest office for $5.00.

This year, Smokey Bear and Santa Claus are teaming up to bring some holiday cheer to fourth graders across the country! As part of the national Every Kid in a Park initiative, the U.S. Forest Service is excited to announce that all fourth graders are eligible for a free holiday tree permit from their local national forest.

In order for students to receive a free tree permit, they must present a valid paper voucher printed from the Every Kid in a Park website.

Step 1: Visit www.everykidinapark.gov/ and follow instructions to obtain the paper voucher.
Step 2: Print out the paper voucher.
Step 3: Bring the paper voucher to a National Forest office to claim the free permit.

The Every Kid in a Park initiative is a national program to encourage children to visit national parks, forests, and public lands. As part of the effort, all fourth graders in the country can obtain a paper pass for free entry into all federal lands and waters by visiting the Every Kid in a Park website at www.everykidinapark.gov.

In September of 2013, the US Forest Service awarded a 10-year stewardship contract for restoration work on Malheur National Forest. The contract’s goals were to promote ecological restoration, reduced wildfire risk, and economic vitality in Grant and Harney counties. The duration of this contract was expected to provide greater certainty and consistency in the offering of restoration work and timber volume. The Forest Service used anticipated local economic benefit as a criterion in selecting the contract awardee. The contract was developed through partnership with two local forest collaborative groups, the Blue Mountains Forest Partners and Harney County Restoration Collaborative. This fact sheet analyzes some of the economic activity in Grant and Harney counties associated with work under the contract in years 2015 through 2017.

Draft Baseline Open Transportation Maps

In early 2019, the Malheur National Forest will be starting the travel management planning process. The maps posted below are not official Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM). They are “DRAFT Baseline OPEN Transportation Maps”, representing only the Forest Service roads that are shown as open to motorized use in the Malheur National Forest Database. The public is encouraged to become familiar with the maps and utilize them to field verify if they represent routes currently used.